Materials Scientists
SOC code 19-2032 · 2,320 certified H-1B positions, FY2023–FY2026.
2,320
certified positions
$89,966
Median pay
$68,980
25th pct
$117,960
75th pct
$137,612
90th pct
$58,656
10th pct
Estimates from public U.S. Department of Labor records — wages are
employer-attested offered wages, not verified salaries paid; counts are filings, not
people. Not legal, financial, or career advice. See our
disclaimer & terms.
Data: DOL filings FY2023–FY2026 (through June 2026) · Page updated October 2026
$74,340
Median prevailing wage
$58,656$89,966 median$137,612
Quarterly median pay 2022-Q4 → 2026-Q2 · ▲ 57.1%
Wage-level mix DOL prevailing-wage levels on these filings
Level I · Entry — 735 (34%), med $63,794Level II · Qualified — 660 (31%), med $87,745Level III · Experienced — 514 (24%), med $118,050Level IV · Fully competent — 251 (12%), med $137,350
Top employers hiring
| Employer | Positions | Median |
|---|---|---|
| UT-BATTELLE, LLC (OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY) | 148 | $87,479 |
| THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY | 95 | $106,995 |
| Brookhaven National Laboratory | 73 | $85,506 |
| Iowa State University of Science and Technology | 49 | $70,493 |
| Battelle Memorial Institute | 48 | $115,510 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | 38 | $89,772 |
| UChicago Argonne LLC | 37 | $89,898 |
| Northwestern University | 37 | $63,000 |
| University of Michigan | 36 | $62,316 |
| The Pennsylvania State University | 34 | $62,922 |
| Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC | 31 | $71,970 |
| BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLC | 27 | $138,000 |
| UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES INC | 27 | $106,500 |
| University of Connecticut | 26 | $65,441 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC | 25 | $123,360 |
Top states
| State | Positions |
|---|---|
| California | 348 |
| Texas | 277 |
| New York | 175 |
| Tennessee | 173 |
| Illinois | 128 |
| Massachusetts | 111 |
| Michigan | 104 |
| Pennsylvania | 88 |
| Washington | 75 |
| Iowa | 57 |
| Colorado | 55 |
| Ohio | 54 |
| Georgia | 52 |
| New Jersey | 52 |
| Maryland | 44 |